


Wild and Weak

by Tak138



Series: Commissions [8]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Femdom, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2020-12-19
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tak138/pseuds/Tak138
Summary: Takes place immediately following Best Case Scenario.
Series: Commissions [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1287251
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Wild and Weak

**Author's Note:**

> Commission for Im-Chris, thanks to Patrick for beta-ing.

They pulled into the driveway, the jostle of the car over the curb making Ezra grit his teeth in pain. 

Lisa turned the car off, sinking back into her seat as the engine fell silent. "Do you need a moment alone?" 

He swallowed, flipped back the visor to examine his eyes in the mirror. Red, swollen, bruised. 

"No," murmured Ezra, as he averted his eyes and wiped at his wet cheek. "No, I'm alright." 

He felt the weight of her gaze on him, felt all the things she thought about saying. After a long second, she swallowed, "I love you." 

Ezra forced himself to breathe in, breathe out. "I love you too," he whispered. She reached across the center console, resting her hand on his leg. 

"Do you want to eat first?" She offered. His mouth tightening into a thin line, Ezra shook his head.

"I'd like to just get it over with, please."

From the corner of his eye, he watched her frown, and he hated himself just a little bit more. 

  
  
  


In their bedroom, Lisa sat on the bed, chewing on her lip. From the bathroom she could hear the hiss of the faucet, quiet splashing of water as Ezra washed his hands. 

Fuck. 

She ran her hands through her hair, then bound it back into a ponytail with the hair tie she always kept on her wrist. She hadn't slept the entire night. Nicole had called at 3-something in the morning, and she hadn't answered. Nicole rarely ever called, both of them preferring texts. If she needed to contact Ezra, she would do so directly. So Lisa assumed it was a work emergency, and let the call go to voice-mail. Something to deal with in the morning, when she was actually on the clock. 

But then Nicole had called again. It was then Lisa had realized her bed was empty, and her body had grown heavy with a knowing, frightened horror. 

She hadn't even let Nicole speak, just blurted "Did they catch him?" 

Because an omega wandering the city in the dead of night would have surely been arrested. Detained. Sent to the nearest facility to be held for processing until their owner was located. Ezra was microchipped, courtesy of the rescue she'd gotten him through, but the facilities loved to drag their feet.

The line had been silent for a long, tremulous moment. The crushing feeling in her bones had grown heavier, heavier, heavier, threatening to drag her through the ground and right into hell.

Then, "... No." 

She had never heard that voice, not from Nicole. They hadn't known each other particularly long, but they were friends. They spent every day working together. Lisa knew what she sounded like when she was angry, what she sounded like when she was upset, or sad, or anxious. She had never heard this before. This… emptiness. Lisa had pressed her hand to her face, grinding her teeth so hard she felt her jaw pop. 

"Is he hurt?"

More silence. There had been some rustling on the line, the squeak of a cat in the background. "... Lisa," came Nicole's quiet, heavy voice, "He's… he showed up here in his boxers. No pants, no shoes. I think… I think he ran here."

There had been no words in her head then, no thoughts in her mind. She'd known what had happened, what they had done to her sweet, lovely boy. She knew. And though she was not an alpha, though she was not built to fight and destroy, in that moment Lisa could have ripped the world apart with her bare hands. 

"Mistress?"

Her head snapped up, Ezra hovering in the doorway with his eyes low. 

"Hey, baby," Lisa breathed, forcing herself to smile. "How are you feeling? Did you take anything?"

Ezra shuffled his feet, biting his lip. "No ma'am," he whispered. 

Goddamn. It killed her to see him like this. Ezra had always been a spitfire, had always been wild and bright, undaunted by the life he'd lived before. Even during the long car ride home, when he hadn't even known her name, he was always joking, teasing. Trying to get a rise out of her as some sort of test, maybe, or maybe it was just his way of giving this world the middle finger. 

She didn't know, but seeing him like this, quiet and meek, it was worse than a bullet to the stomach. 

She held out a hand, a gentle offer. Ezra stared at it, at her, before he shuffled over and took it in his own. The warmth of him bled through her, a balm to her agitated nerves. Familiar, tender. Home.

She licked her lips, quietly asking, "Are you still in pain?"

Ezra wiped his face, chest shuddering. "Only a bit, ma'am."

That was a lie. One look at his pale, sallow face, the angry violet of his bruised eye, the split lip, the hand prints around his neck. . .

"Come here," she urged, and tugged on his arm. At her urging, Ezra laid down on the bed, resting his head in her lap. She combed her hand through his hair, running her fingers down his side. 

He shivered, closing his eyes. "I thought you wanted to see me first."

"Later," she murmured, "Later. Now I just… I just need to feel you." 

Ezra looked up at her, the corners of his lips curling into a small smile, showing off that dimple on his right side. Fuck, even with one of his eyes swollen to twice its normal size and blood staining his teeth, he was still the most handsome man she had ever seen. With his dark hair and those hazel gold eyes. The smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks, the smallest gap in between his front teeth. She loved all of it. She loved all of him. 

She took his hand back in hers and gave it a light kiss. "I love you," she whispered against him. 

"I love you too," answered Ezra, voice far too small. 

She had been looking forward to getting an omega for a good while, years in fact. Ever since she was a little girl. She had yet to be required to get one, but it was only a matter of time, and she didn't want to go through a facility if she didn't have to. In her research for alternatives, she'd come across a number of back alley rescues and northern shelters. Ezra had been under the care of one  _ Home for All _ , based out of Rhode Island. The rescue had marked him as a 'low chance' rescue, a little frowny face over his picture on the website. His description had read,  _ Hi! My name is Ezra, I'm very sweet and I'm good at making people laugh, I just need a little more help learning how to behave. I promise I can make you very happy, if you just give me a chance! _

She had snorted at the words. They might as well have just said "I'm a big brat with an even bigger mouth". But there had been something about his picture, something about the fact that he was smiling, chin forward, eyes shining. It wasn't a real smile, more of a big 'fuck you' to the people that thought he needed any help learning how to behave. Lisa had turned off her computer and gone to bed, resolving to think more about it later. But by morning, she'd known she wanted him. So she'd driven out there, met him in the rescue's little back room, and had fallen head over heels in love. 

That was some three years ago now. It had been an effort to get him here in the first place, the rescue being hesitant to let an omega like him, all smirks and laughs, with a fucking  _ drivers license _ , go anywhere except maybe California, where omega could basically go at they pleased. Georgia had almost been out of the question. 

At the time she had thought it stupid. She could manage him, she was a good owner. It didn't matter if she wasn't an alpha, she knew how to keep omegas in line. The day they finally let her being her home had been the happiest moment of her life. 

Now she understood. 

"You look tired," she said to him, voice quiet enough that they could hear the cars rushing by on the street outside. 

"I didn't sleep too great, Kai likes to hog the bed," Ezra huffed, staring at their hands. 

Lisa snorted. "You're twice his size, how is that even possible?" 

"You'd be surprised," he said, that faint smile appearing again, "He's got some long arms. And combine that with the cat? I had no room at all." 

"You're lucky to have him- them," she said after a long second, "We both are."

That smile fading, Ezra nodded, swallowing hard as he said, "I don't know what I did to deserve them." 

Lisa swallowed as well, her chest growing tight. "Why didn't you come home?"

Ezra averted his eyes, staring at the grey-blue walls of their bedroom. "I don't know," he said at length, "I guess I just… I don't know. Maybe I just wanted to see Kai. They were closer anyways." 

She didn't have to tell him he shouldn't have gone, or that he should have listened to her. He knew those things. It would only hurt him more if she used it to beat him down. 

"You smell like Nicole," she sighed, trying for humor. "She's all over you."

But Ezra kept his eyes away, staring at nothing. "She's nice," he whispered, "Nicer than I gave her credit for." 

"Give her a fruit basket, I'm sure she'll forgive you." 

That, at least, earned a little chuff. 

Lisa patted his thigh, just a bit. "Lay with me, please?" 

It didn't take much encouragement for him to slide fully onto the bed, tucking himself in close as she lied alongside him. 

"My boy," she said into his hair. 

"Are you sure you need to see me?" Ezra croaked, "I can just… tell you."

Lisa sighed, wrapping her arms around him. "Yes, Ezra. I wouldn't put it past you to downplay everything. I want to draw my own conclusions." 

She expected opposition, a little teasing protest. But Ezra just nodded, and buried his face in her chest. "Can I sleep for a little bit first? Please."

"Sure," she agreed. As if she could ever deny him anything.

Ezra stretched himself along her side, twining his legs with hers and clinging to her as though his life depended on it. 

The room was going to stink like miserable omega for the next week. Ideally she would open a window before it permeated the bedspread and carpet, but not even a god could have ripped her from her boy's side. 

"I love you," she said again, softly as the wind. She felt him swallow against her, felt his fingers grip at the front of her shirt. 

"... I'm sorry," whispered Ezra, voice weak, "I h-hope… I hope you can forgive me, one day."

Lisa could have rolled her eyes, but instead she just kissed his temple, and drew the covers up over them both. "I already forgave you," she told him, "You've suffered more than you ever would with one of my punishments."

Not that corner time could ever compare to… this. 

Ezra nuzzled her neck, a shiver running through him. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you."

"Ezra," she sighed. He fell silent. 

Lisa took a deep breath, and though he smelled overwhelmingly like Nicole, like alpha, she could still detect his original scent. Distinctly omega, sweet and dusky, but distinctly Ezra as well. Something warm, something honeyed and light. 

Her boy. Her body knew him, her heart knew him, her instincts knew him. 

Her boy was hurt, her boy had been hurt beyond anything he could ever deserve. 

"I love you," she whispered into his hair, fisting the back of his shirt. Nicole's shirt. "I love you, Ezzy. I love you."

Ezra whimpered, the sound like a spear to her stomach. "I wish there was some way to make it up to you," he croaked, "I wish I could—I wish I could show you that I'm not—not bad." 

"Hush baby, just hush." 

He was quiet for a moment, and then she felt Ezra release her shirt, felt him slowly, gingerly, begin to slide his hand south. 

She should have been surprised, but she wasn't. Still, her stomach sank and sank, leaden and heavy, as she grabbed his hand and held it tight. "You don't need to do that, Ez," she said gently. 

"I-I'm sorry," he rasped, shoulders curling in. "Please, I'm really sorry. I just—I just need to make you happy." 

"I'll be happy if you get some sleep," she said gently. Ezra looked up at her through his wet lashes, eyes glistening. Uncertain. Lost. "Sleep, baby," she said again, "Please. If you want to make me happy, just sleep." 

Ezra sucked in a steadying breath, lips quivering, and nodded. "Yes Mistress," he said weakly, and pressed his face back into her neck. 

Lisa closed her eyes, focusing on his warmth, his scent. Hypersexuality had been something the rescue had warned her about, when she'd first contacted them. A coping mechanism, like his constant humor and attitude. She'd thought they were well past this, but… 

Maybe it was time to get back in contact with Ezra's counselor. It had been a good couple of months since they had last talked, but he could probably use it. 

She would discuss it with him later.

  
  
  


"So," Lisa said as she strode back into the room, putting her phone in her pocket. "Someone turned in your wallet and keys to the police. Your card is gone, and any cash, and there's no sign of your phone."

"My license?" Ezra asked softly, staring at his feet. They'd woken to the sound of her phone ringing, and Ezra looked very much like he wanted to crawl back into bed and hide. 

"It's in there."

Thank God for that too. Ordering him a replacement would have been a nightmare. 

Ezra gave a long sigh, running his fingers through his sleep mussed hair. "Should I… should we go and get them?"

"Later," she said, "I think we've put this off long enough."

His face draining of all color, Ezra pressed his hands to his face. Slowly, she came to sit at his side on the bed, resting her thigh against his. 

"Do you understand why we need to do this?" she asked. 

Swallowing, Ezra nodded. "So you can—so you can see me, what they did to me?"

"Because I need to take care of you," Lisa told him, keeping her voice gentle. "You're hurt, I can see it. And I need to be able to take care of you properly."

"And you don't trust me to be honest," he finished, voice breaking on the word. It wasn't defensive, or an accusation, just… honest. Lisa bit her lip. 

"Because you like to hide your pain," she said, "Because you feel like it's troublesome, because you think I'll get angry, because I have to be a bit more gentle. We can't have that happen right now, not when you're so badly injured. You can't hide this from me."

His eyes swimming with tears, Ezra dipped his head. "Yes, Mistress." 

She couldn't stand to see him like this. Her strong, happy boy, reduced to this. Lisa wrapped her arms around his shoulders, let him bury his face in her neck. 

"This isn't a punishment," she whispered against him. "I'm not angry with you, I don't think you're keeping this from me out of spite. This is me trying to take care of you."

"I know," he squeaked, "I know. It still—it still hurts."

Lisa nodded, gently kissing his temple. "Are you ready?"

"No," he grumbled. She slipped her hand under his shirt, Nicole's shirt, and rubbed his bare side. 

"Come on," she pressed, "The sooner we start, the sooner we're done." 

A shiver ran through him, though it was more of a quake. As if her words were enough to send him crumbling to pieces. Slowly, at her urging, Ezra pulled himself from her side, wiped at his face, and stood. For a moment he just… paused. Staring, dark eyed, at nothing, fingers frozen just above the ties at his waist. 

"Ezra," Lisa said, just once. 

"I'm working on it," he grunted. His fingers trembled as he gripped the ties, and then he froze once more. 

She sighed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "Ezra, I'm asking you to begin." 

His jaw tightening, Ezra closed his eyes. "Give me a sec."

"Ez—"

"I said give me a second," he ground out.

Lisa swallowed, the air going tight and thin between them. She watched him breathe, listening to the ragged huff of his breathing "Would you like me to do it for you?" She offered tentatively. 

The look he shot her was positively venomous. "No, I don't want you to fucking do it for me," he snarled. "Do you have any idea how I hate this? You're asking me to relive my fuckin’ assault and you want me to hurry up? You have any idea how fucked up that is? Jesus fucking  _ christ, _ cut me some slack!"

The words cut like a blade, low and jagged. Lisa could only stare, slack-jawed, as it rolled through her. 

_ You're asking me to relive my assault. _

Ezra twisted, hands slapped over his mouth. "I'm sorry," he blurted, his scent rancid with terror. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm—"

"I need you to go to your nest." 

The words came out harsher than she intended, cold and hollow. It was difficult to focus, to register the here and now over the thrum of her heartbeat. 

He had  _ never _ spoken to her like that. He had never sworn at her, never snapped at her. He had never… looked at her like that. 

Ezra sank to his hands and knees with a thud. "Please no," he whispered, eyes so wide, "Please, please, no…"

"I need you to go to your nest," she repeated, firmer. 

She should be reassuring him. She should be on the ground, cooing over him, promising him that everything was okay. 

But it wasn't okay. 

_ You're asking me to relive my assault.  _

"Mistress,  _ please—" _

"Nest," she said through her teeth. "I won't say it again." 

Ezra sat back on his ankles, searching her face, her eyes. Looking for something, some softness, to grab onto.

There was fury in her chest. A burning, endless fire that scorched at the underside of her flesh. Her boy had snuck out, broken her rules, her trust, and he was  _ angry _ at her? She comforted him, promised him a home, promised him her love, and he was angry at her?

Lisa had to swallow the bitter words on her tongue, had to squeeze her eyes shut, and took Ezra's hands in hers. 

"Now is not the time to disobey me," she said, voice barely audible. 

Ezra crumpled at her feet, every piece of him shaking. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened, I'm so so sorry—"

Lisa couldn't help herself. She combed her fingers through his hair, needing to just— _ feel _ him. She needed to settle herself, needed to push her feelings aside and think of him and what was happening. She needed to be a good owner, a good mistress. 

She needed a new plan. 

"I need you to give me a moment," Lisa whispered, "I need to… readjust how we handle this. I need to—"

"You don't have to!" Ezra barked, and shoved himself to his feet. "You don't have to do anything! I can—I can be good, I'll undress, I'll do it, I promise! I promise, look—"

He yanked the shirt over his head and thrust it in her direction like a prize. "See!" He cried, utter desperation in his voice, "See! I can do it, I'm doing it! I can be good, I can do it, I promise, I  _ promise _ ." 

Lisa closed her eyes again, stomach curdling at the sight of the scrapes and bruises that covered every bare inch of him. "Put the shirt back on, Ezra."

"No," he whimpered, "No, I'm doing what you want, this is what you want, right? I'm gonna do it, I can do it! Please, just let me do it!"

And the sound of his voice cracking, Lisa forced herself to rise. She went to him, to her broken, beaten boy, leaned against his chest.

"Please," he croaked, wrapping his arms around her. "Please don't send me away. I'll do whatever you want, I swear."

She licked her lips, his pulse racing like a jackhammer beneath her ear. "It was never my plan to make you relive it," she told him.

"I know," He swallowed, "I know, I know, I shouldn't have said that. I was being stupid, I  _ am _ stupid. But I can be good, I won't lie, and I'll show you everything. Absolutely everything, I'll—I'll strut around in the buff as long as you need me to."

It was an attempt at humor, but Lisa didn't smile.

Instead, she rubbed her hand down his chest, ignoring the tightness swelling in her throat. "Will you fight it if I ask you to go to your nest again?" 

His shoulders slumped. "No, Mistress," he whispered, "I'll—I'll do whatever you tell me to."

She took a deep breath, looking up at him. At the sight of the tears streaking down his cheeks, Lisa gently brushed her thumb over his cheek. "Oh Ezra," she murmured, "What have I done to you?"

He returned her gaze, flashing a smile that was all teeth, and no joy. "I'll undress if you want me to." 

"I don't want to hurt you." 

"I would rather you do that than have you send me away." 

"Ezra…"

"No, I'm serious," he said, letting go of her to fidget with his fingers. "It's not even that bad. I just—I just got caught up in myself. It's not that bad. But I think if you send me to my nest, I might honestly have a panic attack." 

"Alright," Lisa said, lost for a moment as she stepped back, trying and failing to keep her eyes from his body. "Is there any way I can make it easier for you?" 

He seemed to squirm under her gaze, arms twitching as though he wanted to cross them over his chest, and thought better of it. "Maybe you could… talk me through it," he suggested meekly. "Like… about other stuff."

"Other stuff?" She echoed. 

Ezra nodded, biting his lip. "I think… I think hearing your voice would make it better. It would remind me that I'm here and not… there."

Not in some wet, filthy alley somewhere in the heart of the city. Not beneath them,  _ four _ of them, Nicole had informed her. 

"Okay," Lisa agreed, "If you're sure. We could figure something else out, if you needed. Maybe the clinic—"

Ezra scoffed, giving her a wry grin that reminded her of the boy she had once brought home. "Ah yes, I would have a much better time showing off my junk to some omegaphobic fuck in dirty scrubs, and not my mistress whom I trust implicitly." 

Snorting, Lisa sat back on the bed. "Okay, no clinic. Just… are you sure?"

"I can try, at least. I would much rather this than anything else. Unless you're suddenly willing to trust what I say?" He said, his grin turning sheepish. 

Lisa smiled a bit in return, but shook her head. "You know I can't, not after last night."

_ Not after you promised not to do anything stupid, and then vanished the second I fell asleep. _

Ezra licked his lips, ducking his head. "I fucked up real bad, didn't I?" He murmured. 

"You're just realizing this now?"

He winced, throat bobbing, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "No, I knew. I just… I dunno. It's weird. I'm used to having your trust."

"And I'm used to trusting you," she replied, "But you broke that. And who knows how many times you have before." 

Ezra looked up at her then, gaze sharpening. "It was just the one time," he said firmly, "Just once, I swear. Just the one time." 

"And I'm just supposed to believe you?"

After a long second he demurred, shoulders sagging. "No, Mistress," he whispered, "I mean it, though. This was the first time. Well—I went outside a few times when you told me not to, but only to like, the backyard or something. I never went anywhere else before."

Lisa grit her teeth. She couldn't help but hate the way she believed him. He didn't deserve her trust, not after blatantly lying to her face, and yet she couldn't help it. This was her boy, her Ezra. He was the only family she had, and he held her entire heart in his hands. 

She shouldn't trust him. She couldn't.

Even if she sorely wanted to. 

Reading whatever it was on her face, Ezra swallowed, shuffling his feet. "I don't suppose there's any chance of me earning it back any time soon?" 

"I don't know," admitted Lisa, "We'll just have to wait and see." 

He nodded, chewing on his lower lip as he plucked at his waistband. "Should I get on with it?" 

Lisa hesitated a second, taking him in. The trembling of his fingers, the wetness of his eyes. The dark, dark reds and purples smeared across his body like paint. The way he kept running his hands down the red velvet of the pajama bottoms. What she wouldn't give to take his pain away. What she wouldn't give to erase all of this, go back a day, and prevent this from happening. 

"Whenever you're ready," she said at length. 

With another nod, Ezra undid the waist ties, and sucked in a deep breath. 

"What do you want to do after this?" She asked, as she watched him struggle. He glanced up at her, brows pulled together. 

"What do you mean?" 

"After," Lisa repeated, smiling as best she could. "I said I was going to take care of you, didn't I? So what do you want to do after this?" 

Ezra considered it for a moment, the gold in his hazel eyes shining in the light from outside. "A movie, " he said finally, voice quiet, "I wanna watch a movie."

"With me? What kind?"

Closing his eyes, Ezra eventually let the pants pool around his ankles. "Yeah, with you. And… somethin stupid. Like… like some Hallmark beta-bullshit."

Lisa couldn't help but snort, even as she watched him hesitate further with his boxers. "If you want to watch some romance, Ezzy, you can just say so."

He chuffed, a shiver running through his shoulders. "You mean to tell me that you  _ wouldn't  _ laugh at me if I asked to watch some sappy shit? Which one of us is supposed to be the liar here?"

"We can watch whatever you want, Baby," she said softly, "I'll tolerate as many sappy beta-on-beta Christmas romances as you'd like." 

Ezra grit his teeth, swaying from side to side and clenching his fists. "You know we have to go to the clinic anyways, right?" 

At her look of question, Ezra lowered his eyes. "I need to get tested."

"For what?"

"STDs." 

Lisa sucked in a sharp breath. It hadn't even crossed her mind. It was difficult to acknowledge what had actually happened to him, she hadn't even thought about the lasting consequences. 

Thank God he couldn't get fucking pregnant. 

"Later," she said, with forced ease, "We can do that later. Right now I just want to take care of you." 

He nodded, just a single dip of his head, and shucked off his boxers in a single movement. And at last, Lisa was able to see all of him. 

Ignoring the way her breath quickened, Lisa beckoned him close, and Ezra obediently shuffled over. 

He had always been pale—there weren't very many opportunities for omegas to get decent sun, especially here—but the bruises only served to make him look sickly. All along his ribs, his stomach, his hips and thighs and throat. Scratches and scrapes, blood that had clotted and scabbed. 

"Oh, Ez," she whispered, tears stinging her eyes as she took in his knees and shins, scraped entirely raw. Ezra said nothing, just kept his eyes closed. With a tentative touch to his hips, Lisa had him turn around. 

He shivered as she brushed her fingers over the scratches on his shoulders, a scabbing, reddened mess. She followed them down, to the great big pools of purple and red that covered his lower back.

"We might just skip the clinic and find a doctor that'll take you," she murmured. 

Ezra glanced at her over his shoulder. "Is it really that bad?" He asked weakly. 

"I'm assuming they kicked the shit out of you. I'm worried about your kidneys. And your ribs," she added after a second thought. "Lift your arms, baby."

Breath hitching, he lifted his arms over head, and winced as she pressed lightly along his sides. 

Lisa grimaced, steadying him with a hand in the small of his back. "How bad is it?"

"Not bad," Ezra whispered, "I—I know what a broken rib feels like. My breathing's still good. I think it's—I think it's just bruises." 

"Even so," she muttered, "I'm gonna call around, see if there's anyone that'll take you. You can lower your arms."

He did, and crossed them over his chest. "You know I'm not on your insurance." 

"I know." 

"Anyone that sees me is gonna charge a fortune." 

"I would rather that than take you to the clinic where they would tell me you're fine after not even looking at you. You mean too much to me for that and you know it."

Shoulders hunching, Ezra rasped, "Can I please put my clothes back on now?" 

And fuck, if that didn't just break her heart. 

"I would rather you get some of your own. Only boxers and a loose shirt," she said softly, "I need to put some ointment on you." 

"Um… can I borrow some of your stuff, please?" He asked after a sec, "I know they won't fit, but…" 

Despite herself, despite everything, Lisa smiled a bit, and pressed a gentle kiss to his hip. "Of course you can. Take whatever you need, Baby."

Lisa left him to it, going into the bathroom and retrieving their first aid kit. When she returned, Ezra was in a pair of her sleeping shorts, which were actually just a pair of his boxers that she had stolen a couple months ago, and a loose grey and black band shirt left over from her college days. It was difficult not to melt at the sight, even years later. It always did something to her, always satisfied that primal piece of her heart.

Ezra had never asked for too many of her things, even if he clearly enjoyed them. He was more likely to just quietly take something he thought she wouldn't miss. Leftover fears, she figured. Afraid to ask for too much, afraid to impose. Of course, they both usually slept in the same bed unless Ezra needed some space, but every omega needed a nest to feel safe. So Lisa had just taken to sacrificing a few of her shirts throughout the week to keep the scent fresh. 

It was part of the reason she had picked their room to do this in, because nowhere else was her scent the strongest, except maybe his nest. But fuck all if she was making him go through that in there, where he was supposed to always feel safe. She couldn't imagine how this would have gone had they done it in the living room, or even the bathroom. 

Finally, Lisa opened the window, wafting out some of the air with the bag. She had grown used to the fear-scent by now, but there was still hope of saving the carpet.

"The neighbors are gonna complain," mumbled Ezra.

Lisa shrugged as she parted the curtains as far as they would go. "Fuck the neighbors, they always leave trash in the yard. Let them suffer." 

He didn't look particularly mollified, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sorry. I tried to calm down, I was just—going through it."

"None of that, Baby," Lisa said as she plopped down on the bed next to him, kit in her lap. "You can't help it, it's nothing you need to apologize for. Now let me see those legs."

Shifting, Ezra set his legs over her lap, so she could rub some antibacterial ointment over the damaged skin as gently as she could. "I assume Kai helped clean you off?" She said after a minute. 

Staring at the ground, Ezra leaned back against the bedpost. "Mhm. He helped—helped me shower, but I was too much of a mess for him to do anything else."

She tried not to think about what that meant, instead saying, "Maybe I could call Nicole and see where she took Kai to get chipped, and I could take you there." 

Ezra frowned. "What do you mean?" 

"You don't really think she took him to some offbrand clinic, do you?" Lisa asked dryly, as she applied a light layer of gauze to his knees and one of his legs. "No way in hell. I would bet literally all of my savings that she got him in somewhere nice. Maybe if I smooth talk her enough, she'll tell me where."

"The clinic's fine," he said, voice strained, "I already bothered her enough. I don't want to make it worse."

That was… a very good point. They weren't particularly close friends. And after all this shit, she was hesitant to put herself on the wrong side of Nicole's care.

"I'll call around," Lisa said quietly, "Do some research. I'll find you somewhere good, I promise. Turn around for me?"

Ezra turned, hiking up his shirt at her request. "Maybe I can ask Kai, though?" He said after a second, shivering as she applied more ointment to his scratches. "Assuming Nicole lets me see him again."

"Of course she will," Lisa sighed, "She's not like that." 

"She's an alpha. They're—weird."

"She's not that weird and you know it. She's a good owner, and a good alpha." 

Ezra snorted, giving her a look. "You weren't saying that when she got promoted to the head of your team. Alpha privilege and all that?"

"Oh—hush. That was before I knew her. I've admitted I was wrong about that a good few times now." 

"Ah yes, but I've yet to tell her about it."

Lisa huffed as she pulled his shirt down. "Don't you dare _. _ "

"Kidding, I'm kidding, promise," he said with a nervous laugh. "Um… can we still do the movie thing? I-I know I shouldn't really be asking for a reward…" 

She sighed, looping an arm around Ezra's middle and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. He leaned into her, trembling as though he expected her to pull away. Softly, she said, "You can ask for anything you want, Baby. You deserve some comfort." 

"Do I, though?" came his distraught voice, "Do I deserve any of this?"

"Ezra…" 

"I don't know why you're not punishing me," he added weakly, "That's what I deserve. Not—not this."

"You've suffered far beyond what I would ever ask you to," Lisa told him, "There's no reason to punish you more."

He was quiet for a second, before he said, "You haven't forgiven me, though."

Lisa frowned against him, "What do you mean?"

"I'm supposed to take a punishment, and then I'm forgiven," Ezra rasped, "That's the whole point. I'm bad, you put me in my place, and everything goes back to normal. But nothing's going to go back to normal after this."

Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair, listening to his heart beat beneath her. "You're right," she breathed, "It's not going back to normal. You've never disobeyed this badly before."

"I'm sorry," he croaked, "I'm really, really sorry."

Lisa forced herself to take a deep breath. "Come here, sweetheart," she said gently, and sat further onto the bed. Ezra followed as though she held him by a leash, his eyes wet as she urged him to rest his head in her lap. He squeezed his eyes shut as she resumed toying with his hair, a few tears sliding down his bruised cheeks. 

"You were bad, yes," Lisa said to him, "Very bad. But you paid for it, didn't you? I'm not angry at you for it. You're not going to wake up tomorrow to me hating your guts, I promise."

"But you don't trust me anymore," he whispered. 

"I don't. At least not as much as I did," she admitted, even as the words burned her lips. She needed to be honest with him. Selling him falsehoods and lies would only make things worse. "But it sounds like you were betraying my trust anyways, yes?"

His eyes shot open, wild with fright. "No! No—I mean, only a little, only a  _ little _ , I swear! I only ever went onto the porch! That's it!"

"Which I told you not to do," Lisa swallowed. "The fact is, you did break my trust. But you can fix it, Ez. This isn't something that you'll have to suffer for until you die."

"I'll do anything," he blurted, "Please, I'll do anything to prove myself. I promise, whatever you want, I'll do it."

Lisa took a deep breath, focusing on the softness of his hair, the warmth of him against her. Quietly, she said, "If you want me to trust you again, you need to show me that you deserve it. You need to show me that I don't ever have to worry about you sneaking out again. Okay?"

"H-How can I do that? How can I do that when I'm—I'm like this?" he croaked, voice broken in a way she would die to never hear again. 

"Like what, Baby?" She asked softly, running her fingers down the curve of his jaw. 

"... uppity," he said after a second, "I'm uppity, I've got attitude, I think the rules don't apply to me. I don't know when to keep my mouth shut, I don't know how—I don't know how I can show you that I'm good when I've never been good before."

"Ezra, I'm not asking you to be 'good'," she said dryly, "I told you in the car, and I'll say it again. I don't love you because you're a perfect omega. I love you because of who you are, including your attitude. The only problem is when you deliberately disobey me and lie to my face about it." 

"But you always have to punish me," he pressed back, "I'm always out of line, I'm always saying stupid shit."

Lisa sighed, "First of all, Ezra, you being out of line usually consists of you joking about not taking the trash out when I tell you to. And that's  _ fine _ , I don't care about that, because it's  _ you _ . I don't mind your mouth, I don't mind putting you in the corner when you go a little too far. That's my job, that's how this is supposed to go. I love you, I love your attitude, and I love all the stupid shit you say. That's not the issue here, do you understand me?" 

Ezra wiped at his face, sniffling a bit. "I mean… yeah, I guess. I just… I feel like I have to be perfect now. I feel like I gotta do everything right, or it's gonna prove to you that I'm—that I'm bad."

"Ezra, baby, you're not bad," she said softly, "You're not. I promise you, you're not. You giving me a little lip isn't going to make me think you're not worth my time anymore."

"A-are you sure? Cause like, if I say something bad and you get mad—"

"How often do I actually get mad at you? Really. Despite all that, how often do I actually get mad at you." 

Ezra blinked, his brow furrowing. "Um…"

"Very rarely," Lisa finished, "I don't even remember the last time I was genuinely angry with you. So why do you think that's going to change now?" 

"I… I don't know. It just feels like it's all going to be different now, and I-I don't know if I can… handle that," he said weakly, averting his eyes. 

"Ezra, I love you," she said in exasperation, "I love all of you. The only thing that's going to be different is I'm going to have to double check that you're actually doing what I tell you to when I'm not looking. I'm going to check up on you more when I'm at work, and I'm going to have to figure out how to make sure you don't leave the fucking house when I'm asleep. But that's it." 

He looked back to her again, desperately searching her face. "That's it?" he echoed, voice small. 

"That's it," she assured him, "That's it, baby."

"So… I'm still allowed to do stuff with you? Dinner, watch movies, that sort of stuff?" He asked, squirming a bit.

"Of course," Lisa said. Why was that even a concern?

"And I can still sleep with you? Sometimes? If I'm good?" 

"You can sleep with me whenever you want, Ez." 

"A-and you'll still do the stuff like kiss me when you go to work? And when we go to bed? And if I'm in my nest and I need you I can still come in here even if it's really late and you're asleep?" 

And then she got it. 

"Ez," she said slowly, "You do know I still love you, right?" 

"... yes?" He swallowed, "I mean, I know you've said you do, I just… you can still love me and still—still pull away from me."

Lisa couldn't help herself. She pulled Ezra to her chest, and hugged him as tightly as she dared. "Never," she told him, with as much bite as she could muster. "Never, Ezra. There is nothing you could do that would ever make me pull away from you. You're still my baby, no matter what bullshit you pull, no matter what rules you break, you're mine, okay? You're my boy, and I'm never going to get angry enough to stop spending time with you. Do you understand me?"

Ezra clung to her like his life depended on it, burying his face in her neck. "Yes mistress," he whispered, "I'm sorry. I'm really really sorry."

"Hush, baby," she breathed, brushing a gentle kiss over his lips. "I love you, okay? I'll say it as many times as you need me to. I. Love. You."

"I love you too," he squeaked, "So, so much. You're everything to me, I swear. I'm gonna—I'm gonna prove it to you. I can be good, you can trust me, all that. I promise."

"I believe you, Ez. I believe you," she said quietly.

Throat bobbing, Ezra nodded a few times. "Can we please go watch some movies now?" He asked in a small voice, "I want to forget this entire terrible day."

Lisa kissed him again, and then again for good measure. "Sure thing baby, but you have to get off of me first." He whined, a sound so unlike him Lisa could have laughed, and only held her tighter when she tried to tug him away. "Or we can just sit here for a second," she said at length, unable to keep the smile from creeping onto her face. 

"Im sorry," mumbled Ezra, "I just… I realized I don't want to let go. Can we sit here a little bit longer, please?"

Lisa nodded. She had to admit, she felt the same. "So, a little bit more of this, then some movies, then we can go and get your stuff from the police station. Does that work for you?"

"Yes mistress," he whispered. Then, his voice getting smaller, he added, "Thank you."

Lisa let out a long breath, leaning her head against his. "I love you," was her reply, "I do, Ezra. I love you so much." 

She felt him slowly relax, felt him slowly sag against her. She felt his muscles loosening, his breathing evening out, his trembles die off. 

She could have spent forever like that. Just her and her boy. He was a lot of work, a lot of things a normal beta wouldn't put up with. But she didn't mind, not as much as Ezra seemed to think she did. She loved every piece of him. There wasn't a single part that she would do away with. Even the part that had lied to her, had broken her trust and her faith in him. She loved that too, because it was part of him. It was all him. 

And despite everything that had happened, everything people had said about her, about her boy and their relationship, she didn't regret choosing him. He was made for her, complementary in every way. 

He was hers. 

He was hers. And she loved every single part of him. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
